The trailer of the film already gave us a glance at some robust action scenes, street-smart humour (coupled with a bit of raunchy, well-timed dialogues) and the adorned chemistry between Danish Taimoor and Sohai Ali Abro.

We met with the directors, producers and cast members of Wrong Number at Yasir Nawaz’s residence to talk about the film and what the audience can expect from it.

Yasir Nawaz

Q1. Are you nervous about the response that Wrong Number will receive upon its release?
Ans. As a child, I had heard that actors, directors and producers undergo a lot of stress and tension, ahead of their movie’s release. This is the first time that I am feeling that pressure, the anxiety ahead of my own film’s release.

Q2. Do you think you can compete with Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan neck-to-neck, which is also releasing on Eid?
Ans. It’s a David vs Goliath contest if you ask me! But we are ready to compete with any Indian film, us Pakistanis have it in our nature to fight hard and compete with anything that India produces. Danish Nawaz, Danish Taimoor, Suhai, Nadeem Jaffri and Janita have all worked hard for this movie. It is difficult to compete with Salman Khan’s film but we are ready for it.

Q3. How was directing a feature film different from directing a telefilm or drama serial?
Ans. While directing a movie, we have to keep in mind the fact that a movie is owned by the audience. They spend their hard-earned money and spend two and a half hours inside a theater to watch our film. Hence, we must ensure that everything is loud as compared to drama serials and telefilms.

Q4. Wrong Number seems to have a bit of everything, from action to romance and comedy as well. Is comedy the main element of the film?
Ans. Yes, comedy is the main element of this film. We want to produce a Pakistani movie, not a Bollywood film. Some of our earlier movies were great and they also featured songs. Ours is a focused comedy film which will entertain you till no end.

Q5. You’re involved in this project from everywhere, from the screenplay to directing the movie as well. Did it take a toll on you?
Ans. I’m used to it, this is not something new to me. In dramas also, I was involved in everything, from the script to every single detail of the film. I think this is a director’s job and he should be aware of every single detail of the movie.

Q6. Any last message as to why people should watch this movie?
Ans. It is a Pakistani movie and we should support our film industry. If the public gives us a good response, we would most definitely make another movie which is as good as this one. Film is a very strong medium to convey your message and depict your country in a positive light.

Javed Sheikh

Q1. How was your experience working for Wrong Number?
Ans. When Yasir first brought the script to me, I scrutinized my role and it was that of a butcher. So I asked him, “What have you brought me?” This was due to the fact that I had previously played different roles throughout my career, even in Na Maloom Afraad. Yasir anyways urged me to do the part and he believed that I could do it very well. Hence, I studied the character and realized it was a strong, interesting role. After acting out my part and dubbing for the movie, I realized I had done justice to the role and essayed it really well.

Q2. Pakistani film industry has been revived to a great extent. You have previously dabbled with directing, will you make another film soon?
Ans. It was me who had brought about a revival or change in the film industry. The biggest change that was brought about in Lollywood was my film Yeh Dil Apka Hua. We started work on this project in 2000 and released it in 2002 and it was the first ever Pakistani film released in Dolby Digital sound. I had purchased the flexes of the movie from Malaysia. Hence the answer to your question is yes, I am making a movie whose details I will reveal shortly.

Q3. Two big films are being released this Eid, Wrong Number and Bin Roye. Who do you think people will watch more?
Ans. No one can predict a film’s response. Even Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan is also releasing this Eid. But I guarantee you the film with the better content always comes out on top and is favoured by the audience. I’ll give you the example of Na Maloom Afraad, which was released along with two other films, Hrithik Roshan’s Bang Bang and Operation 021. However, both of these films were rejected by the audience when Na Maloom Afraad was released.

Bin Roye is an intense love story, which involves Humayun Saeed and Mahira Khan. Bajrangi Bhaijaan is another story whose dynamics and content is also unique and caters to a different genre. Coming back to Wrong Number, it is totally opposite from these two films. Yasir Nawaz worked hard to produce a musical, light comedy film. I have no doubt Wrong Number will thoroughly entertain audience members.

Q4. A sentence of yours from the movie, Kat Kata Kut, has gone viral. Tell us something about it?

Ans. (Laughs). It would have been more befitting had it been released on Eid-ul-Azha! I wouldn’t like to reveal the
background of this dialogue, otherwise it would spoil the fun. When you watch the movie, you’ll get it.

A picture of Javed Shaikh from the movie, Kat Kata Kut, has gone viral

Danish Taimoor

Q1. Tell us something about the character that you play in Wrong Number.
Ans. My character is a very strong one. He’s the son of a butcher who is very lively and fun by nature. He wants to become an actor but where life takes him altogether, that you’ll have to watch the movie to find out.

Q2. How was your working experience with Javed Sheikh and Shafqat Cheema?
Ans. It was a learning experience altogether. It was fun working with them and they taught me a lot on how to enact my role on the big screen, Sheikh sahib and Cheema sahib both.

Q3. How was working with Yasir Nawaz?
Ans. I’ve been working as a TV actor for the past seven years but never got the opportunity to work with him. Yasir bhai is a big name and a renowned director as far as drama serials are concerned. Hence, when I got the chance to work with Yasir Nawaz, it was almost like a dream come true for me.

Q4. What particular element of this project attracted you towards it?
Ans. I’d say everything. The content was amazing but above all, Yasir Nawaz was also attached to this project. Yasir is a thorough professional, a perfectionist. He made us redo even the simplest of our takes, just so he could get the best shot. Even if I was to simply turn my head back in a shot, Yasir Nawaz would make me do it six times, just to get the best out of it. I truly felt like I was working for something, that I was definitely part of a big project.

Q5. Was enacting a comic role on-screen difficult for you?
Ans. Not at all, I had fun doing it. Actually, I’ve done comedy before so it came to me naturally. Though me and Shafqat Cheema frequently laughed in between takes when we delivered our dialogues, they were so funny. Mohsin had penned the dialogues with precision and accuracy.

Q6. The kapoora dialogue from the movie’s trailer has gone viral. Tell us something about it?
Ans. (Laughs). You’ve only seen the trailer of the film and let me tell you, a trailer is only 5% of the entire movie. When you watch Wrong Number in cinemas, you will fall off your seats laughing. As I’ve told you before, there were certain scenes in the film and dialogues which made it difficult for us to shoot, without laughing.

Q7. Any memorable event you would like to share with us that took place during the shooting?
Ans. I performed all of my stunts myself. There was an action sequence in the film which required me to jump from a three-storied building to another three-storied building. I was scared at first, but then I had so much fun filming the sequences, I decided to go ahead and do it. There was another scene in which I was required to slide down a pipe and a mishap occurred, which injured my leg and it bled for the entire day.

Q8. Why should people watch Wrong Number?
For the simple fact that it is a Pakistani movie. I can make a lot of money by simply doing dramas alone. Yet, we are compromising by putting in efforts as actors, producers and directors to work for the revival of Pakistani cinema. We should also not compare Indian movies and the business they do with Pakistani films. In Mumbai alone, you have 257 theaters. If a film runs in India for 2-3 days only, it earns a revenue of Rs 40-50 million. Hence, please support your own Pakistani movies and play your part in our industry’s revival.

Suhai Ali Abro

Q1. How was your experience shooting for Wrong Number?
Ans. Experience was a lot of fun, it was a learning experience for me as it was my first film. Shafqat Cheema, Danish Taimoor, Javed Sheikh, Yasir Nawaz was there so I got to learn from all of them. It was a lot of fun.

Q2. Your drama Pyarey Afzal have also been aired in India. If there was an offer from Bollywood, would you take it?
Ans. It completely depends on the scripts and my role. Even in Pakistan when I do a project, film or drama, for me what matters the most is my role. If I believe in it, I will do it.

Q3. A lot of actresses also sing in their films. Would you ever like to do the same?
Ans. You’re hearing my voice, right? I’m a bathroom singer and I have no problem accepting it. I think it would be wise for me to focus only on my acting for the moment (laughs).

Q4. Tell us something about your character from Wrong Number?
Ans. My character is a lot of fun, she is this spunky, outgoing, fun-loving girl. Won’t like to reveal a lot.

Q5. Kindly tell us who did your costume and makeup?
Ans. Costumes were done by Zainab Chottani and makeup was done by Sabs the Saloon. Choreography has been done by a Pakistani choreographer Zahid. He has done quite a lot of events and has worked really hard with us.

Q6. Were you comfortable with the shooting and all?
Ans. I was very comfortable due to Yasir. He makes sure when you’re on the set, everything is present as it should be. He is simply a perfectionist and makes sure that all his actors and actresses are comfortable.

Q7. Are you nervous for the release?
Ans. Yes I’m not going to lie, I’m a little nervous. But I have high hopes and I believe that our hard work will bear fruits.

Q8. Any message for the masses?
Yes. Please go out on Eid and watch Wrong Number!

Nadeem Jaffri

Q1. Tell us something about your character in Wrong Number?
Ans. Our characters are very funny and lively personalities. The humour that we portrayed on-screen is a little bit of controversial but we have managed to keep it extremely funny. Me, Danish Nawaz and Atif Shah play three similar fat men who are unique characters. They make nefarious plans, none of which come to fruition!

Q2. How was working with Yasir Nawaz?
Ans. Yasir is a wonderful director, who also has an acute sense of humour. Hence, this came to productive use when we were shooting for Wrong Number. Yasir knew how to get the best out of us in a very versatile way. His humour, which you will get to see on-screen, is very hilarious. I basically followed Yasir’s direction and it was a delight for me to work with him.

Q3. Tell us something about the humour of Wrong Number?
Ans. We have used some lines in the film can be classified as being below the belt and people can certainly object to it, but it has the essence of humour. We have turned specific Karachi-related things such as extortion, target killing and turned it into something very funny altogether.

Q4. Anything important you want to tell us?
Ans. I trust Yasir so much that I only said yes to the film because of him. I trust him as a friend and as a director, hence I agreed to play the role that was assigned to me in Wrong Number.

Nida Yasir

Nida Yasir also briefly spoke on the occasion and stated her belief that Wrong Number would perform well. She said that Pakistani people were beginning to appreciate their own films and the response to last year’s Na Maloom Afraad was evidence of the fact that when you produce films with strong content, they attract a positive response. Nida also stated that Yasir Nawaz had worked hard at Wrong Number and it would be a successful film, just like his earlier drama serials and TV shows have been popular with the masses due to his spectacular sense of comedy.

“Give Wrong Number a chance and watch it in theaters. Us Pakistanis should support and encourage our content.”